


Dear Rabbit

by runners345ready



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: AU, Gore, Retelling of the story, Spoilers through S1M4, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-10 18:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5596816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runners345ready/pseuds/runners345ready
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Runner Five is alone in the woods when a voice finds them and guides them towards Able. But can Five truly become a member, or will something about Five keep then from being accepted?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Zombies, Run! but I am an avid player.The use of the transcript is purely for entertainment reasons. This fic was inspired by another I found on Ao3 and I must say, I was very excited to find the fan fiction for the game and see my shared feelings shared with other people. So this goes out to all my follow Runner Five's.

Lost out in the wilderness, abandoned, the smell of death all around, the chances of escape look bleak.

Suddenly a voice enters their ears, and they quickly realize it is coming from a distance. Earpiece, the communication earpiece is still operational.

"Hey, hey. I um... This is Abel calling." The male voice starts. "This seems stupid, but we can see the activity going on. It looks like someone's out there stirring up attention. Listen, if you're alive, if you can hear me. This is Sam Yao from Abel. I'm just the... " The voice says inside the static. "I'm just the radio operator. I'm not supposed to handle this stuff." The static nearly drowns the voice. "You're in a nest of hostiles by the look of it. They're moving in with purposes so... I think they're after something or someone... There are thirty... no forty. No... crap. Your only safe path is towards the tower, you should be able to see that from where you are. If there's anyone alive there, just run. Run!"

That's all the motivation they need. Running hard, blindly dodging bushes and jumping over branches, they race towards the tall object hanging over the trees.

The sounds of creatures following spur the flying feet. Not normally one to turn away from a fight, they have learned that avoidance is really the best way to stay safe from those... things.

The tower stands high on the horizon, easily seen for miles away. They follow it, chewing the land under their feet to cover the distance as quickly as possible.

"Wow there's... There's someone out there. Running. Hey, hey. Can you hear me?"

They don't bother answering. Their earpiece is just that. No way to communicate back to them.

"No answer. Still, look at them go. Heading for the tower just like I said." They are clearly speaking to someone else. "Okay runner, if you can hear me, you're doing great. The main group's behind you and you're coming out of the forest soon but there's a..." As he thinks they fret over the loss of tree cover. It is a comfort to them to be deep in the forest. "I can't think of a phrase that's not 'small army'. There's one of those directly to the east of the trees, so if you cut to the west now..." 

They make the subtle change in direction towards the west. 

"Man. Look at that. They’re changing direction. They can…" The voice starts excitedly. "You can hear me! Okay, okay, we can keep you safe. It’s cool, it’s cool. We can bring you in."

The listener can't help but grin. The enthusiasm and nervousness are something they seldom hear. Most of those they know, or knew, kept cool and professional. A little emotion is nice to hear.

"No, we can’t ask them that. They might be injured." He says, but obviously to someone else again.

"All the more reason to ask them that." A new, female voice arrives in their ear. "This is Maxine Myers. I'm only caretaker at Abel. Lord knows I’m sorry to ask you this, but your route will take you almost past the old hospital. We know there’s medical kits still there. If you could pick up even one or two that would help us," She says towards the listener.

"It’s too dangerous. You know what happened to Runner Five…" Sam says quietly.

"I don’t want to be hardheaded, but everyone in this township earns their keep," Maxine says. "You should be able to see the hospital now. One of the buildings, Gryphon Tower, is the tallest in the abandoned city. And if you can’t find anything… we might not be able to let you in when you get here." 

Huffing in annoyance, they keep running, following the directions. They should have expected as much, this is how things are. But to send them on a first mission that is possibly very dangerous, well, that's one way to put them to the test. And they most certainly are up for the challenge.

"Okay, Okay. Man, that’s great, you’re making good time. Hey, listen. I’m gonna call you Runner Five. Just ‘cuz… I don’t know your name, and we just lost a runner. In that same hospital you’re running through now. She was so fast, and really funny, and clever, and me and her we sort of…" Chattering, not something they are used to, but it's not as if they can tell him to stop, even if they really wanted him to. "She was amazing. But hey, you could be our new Runner Five," He sounds let down, depressed by the mere thought. "If you make it back alive," Sam adds oh so optimistically. "Yeah, the runners are pretty important to keeping us going here… any fuel we have goes to working the generators and the truth is if you’ve got a few good legs and you can go above a slow shamble you’ll be able to stay out of their way, am I right?"

They think on this. That is one very important skill now, running. It's also something they are very good at. It's gotten them this far.

"Huh. Yeah, okay. Your pace is good, but maybe head through the ground floor of the hospital? There’s a little swarm gathering in the parking lot I don’t like the look of and…"

They knew that group were there without Sam saying so, they could smell them. 

"Yeah, that’s good. You could even pick up anything interesting you pass. We think there might be some… well, we sent the old Runner Five there looking for some file the Doc’s interested in. So, you know. If you find anything official looking lying around…"

'Official,' they wonder. Would they know that when they see it?

"Hey, I can see you on my cameras. You're a little blurry but... Oh," He hesitates.

They look up, catching the camera with their eyes.

"You're..." Sam starts again, and the listener knows why he shows discomfort. They look away and trot out of view of the camera.

"Just keep going down this hall." Sam is finally able to continue. "Alright now go left, there's a large group to the right." They go left.

"There, those boxes," The female speaks again. "Pick up as many of them as you can carry." The number is, admittedly, not a lot. With two clutched, they begin out once more.

"Oh no," Sam mutters in their ear. "No, don't go back that way. Some are coming towards you from that direction. And... there's three or four in the other direction. Um..." He struggles, hopefully thinking.

This won't do. They can't put up a fight laden with the packs. But if they just drop them, those voices might change their minds about helping. An idea comes to them as they remember the way the packs had obviously been transported, wrapped up snuggly in a wearable pack. It will have to work.

Working quickly, they gather a few more of the kits into the bag and carefully hitch the pack on to themselves and try a few experimental paces. The weight won't be too much of a burden, hopefully. They have enough freedom of movement to fight or flee as needed. Perhaps not at their best, but perhaps good enough.

"Oh, that's a good idea. Really good," Sam offers. "And it's okay, it's alright. I'm going to get you out of there."

They glance up towards the ceiling, as if they can see the speaker in that direction.

"Well, the hall to your left has three down it, but the other is too crowded to count, so, uh... I'm going to have to say go left. They haven't heard you yet, so if you move fast, you might be able to get past them before they get in the way. But, you're going to have to run."

They listen to the instructions and tear across the hall. Scrabbling across the tiles, the sounds from coming down the hall almost make them want to turn back, if the sounds weren't worse from the other direction.

Racing, they spot the source of the noises, and those in turn see them.

They move slowly, dumbly. Their jaws are slack, once white teeth dripping with refuse from muzzles that are partially rotting away on dead faces. Fur is mottling off in various locations on their bodies, revealing grey skin or muscle or white bone underneath. They are all sorts of breeds, small to large, the biggest not quiet rivaling Five's height, but coming close.

Five slides to a stop, sending out a snarl at the creatures and baring teeth. They don't seem to mind the threat at all and just continue forward with a shuffling pace.

"They see you," The voice says obviously in their ear. "And you can't go back, there's even more that way..." Sam starts to sounds panicked. That is another change for what they are used to.

Trying to focus, Five glances to the side of them, seeing a wheeled cart set against the wall. The plan is barely finished in their mind before they leap, landing on top the cart. Immediately, they can tell it is not stable so attempt to jump off and over these creatures snarling at them. The movement of the cart impairs the jump.

The cart slams into one of the hostiles, and they land heavily on the back of another. Something in it gives away under their feet before they leap off and start racing away, hoping they incapacitated two of them in one jump.

"Wow, you are good!" Sam practically shouts in their ear. They try to hide the small grin at the fortunate accident's preferable outcome. The voices might as well think they did it on purpose.

That's when they spot something up in the hall, hastily dropped but clearly not broken. It's some sort of briefcase with important looking lettering across the front. With a small groan and an eye roll upwards, the further burden themselves by picking up the case without pause.

"Right, just keep going, and... Huh, what’s that you’re carrying? Look at this Doc, Runner Five picked something up."

"Is that the Centre for Disease Control symbol?" Maxine asks, though Five can't answer with the object clenched in their jaws and still no two-way communication.

"What's that?" Sam asks almost conspiratorially.

"Runner Five, I don't say this lightly. But that case could be worth your life to protect. You need to get it here."

So now they will let them in? 'Perfect', they think. The last thing they wanted was to have done all this and not be allowed in. Especially considering what they are.

The box bumps around annoyingly but they handle it fine, moving quickly to get out of the hospital.

"What is it?" Sam asks, curiosity piqued about the box.

"It might be nothing. It might be everything."

"So a pretty narrow window of definition." Sam sounds slightly annoyed by the vagueness. Five rolls their eyes, but tighten their teeth around the case.

"What's that shadow over there?" Maxine cuts in. Their ears turn backwards at the sudden intrusion of many low snarls.

"Oh no. This was what… when we sent her out. This was what happened. They’re following you, Runner Five. The swarm from the car park, they’re following you now, run!" Sam sounds panicked, and though they won't risk a glance over their shoulder, the sounds from several dozen pursuers gaining ground. Five starts running at full stretch, a pace they can't keep up forever.

"They’re so fast, why are they so fast? They never run, why are they running? Runner Five, Runner Five. They’re gaining on you!" That much they can tell, it's a struggle to keep their eyes forward as their ears struggle to twist and focus on each threat. One sound is standing out as a threat above the others.

"Runner Five!" It's Maxine now, less composed than before, but more so than Sam. "You’re not far from the gates now. If you can keep going we’ll send out a pack to meet you. Only one zombie is close to reaching you. Just put on a burst of speed now!" They push their legs harder, tearing ground under foot, claws digging for every scrap of purchase they can muster.

"Oh god it’s her. I can see her. It’s… it’s the old Runner Five. She’s the one chasing you, she’s… she’s still wearing her headset, she’s…" Sam sounds torn, broken. This dog must have meant a lot to him.

"Runner Five." A new voice breaks in, causing the fur on their back to stand in surprise. "It’s Runner Seven here, head of runners. Maxine's told me you’ve found something useful in the hospital. We’re coming out to bring you in. Just keep running. As fast as you can."

They do just that, seeing the well-organized pack racing out of the gates, lead by a large brown dog with a strip of reversed fur down his back. A Rhodesian Ridgeback, if they were correct in guessing his breed.

"Don't look back." The Seven warns and they are able to connect the voice to the dog running towards them. "She's right behind you. Just run." A snarl ends the sentence.

They keep running, straight for the pack coming out to meet them, despite everything they've ever learned telling them to do other wise. A few of the dogs shy away, one look at Five giving them an unsettled feeling.

"This way! This way! Run!" A dog stands by a slightly open gate.

Five slows only slightly and throws a glance over their shoulder. The pack lead by Seven splits, taking on the zombiefied dogs. The first one, the fastest one is small and thin. It looks almost fragile. A Whippet, Five realizes. Built to be fast. Her ears are torn off and a huge bite taken from her side.

"They're going to..." Sam speaks for the first time in awhile in their ear, sounding anguished. "I can't watch, I don't want to..."

"It’s what she would have wanted Sam. You know it is. She wouldn’t have wanted to live like this." Maxine says gently.

Five slows, watching Seven circling the small, fast dog. His fur bristles and his teeth are bared, ready to go for the throat.

"Run! We got her!" Seven snarls in Five's ear and she trots further, only turning after seeing him pounce on the zombie and bury teeth in its throat.

"Got 'er." Maxine mutters in their ear.

"Raise the gates! Raise the gates!" Sam says, almost sounding like he's trying to distract himself from what has happened behind Five.

The dog that was wait by the gate slips under. Five has to duck significantly to squeeze under but makes it through.

Panting, they place the case on the ground. They glance around, looking at the new faces of Able pack. Part of them wants to curl away from them, another part wants to snarl to force them to back away.

There is a murmur of voices as they look over the new comer, some backing away on their own accord.

"Hey, good to see you in the flesh!" Sam's voice says clearly from nearby. 

He trots up, ragged like most dogs now, fur fluffier than most and round-faced. Five reasons he's a Chow, small one for his breed. He wears a red collar with his name emblazoned on a tag. 

"The… totally unbroken skin not bitten by zombies flesh, right?" Pointedly, he ignores the issue related to Five's appearance. He grins hopefully and watches as Five turns a small circle to show all their fur is intact. 

They look more wolf than dog: small and pointed ears, big and barrel-chested, timber grey along the back and a white under belly. A few spots of brown speckle their fur, betraying heritage not completely as a wolf.

Sam's tail wags and he turns to the other dogs.

"Step back, step back everyone. Don’t crowd. Give Runner Five some space. Can’t take in so many new faces right now!" Perhaps he senses the tension coiling Five's muscles.

Five's ears flick, almost nervously, at the sound of feet trotting near.

"Hey Maxi," Sam addresses the blond-haired dog while she approaches. A Golden Retriever. Five should have guessed. That breed made the best caretakers. "I just did a bite check. Our new Five is perfectly clean."

"That's a relief to hear. You still have the..." Maxine trails off when Five noses the case towards her silently, then shakes off the pack and drops it as well. "Thank you," Seems to be all the dog can say before asking another to take the bag while she herself takes the case and hauls it away.

Sam turns towards Five again the suddenly flinches, obviously hearing something loud in his ear.

"Uh, right." He says towards the voice at first. "Our alpha wants to speak to you," He starts. Another flinch. "Immediately," He adds.

Holding him with amber eyes, Five nods slowly and moves to follow him. He trots beside her, at a slight distance, but not so far to be completely out of range. He is actually closer than most dogs will come to them.

"It was a long run, wasn't it? You did well. You're fast." His voice is choked, trying not to think about what just happened.

"I'm sorry about your Runner Five." They speak their first words to anyone in the pack.

"I... uh..." Sam falters in his step. "These things happen," He mutters.

"They shouldn't have to," They say in a low, smooth voice. "Thank you for guiding me."

"Hey, it's my job," He says with a faltering laugh.

"Mr. Yao," A voice calls from the den up ahead and Sam flinches.

"That's Alpha Janine. She's... She's kind of tough. Just a warning," He whispers.

"I think I'll be fine. Thank you again, Sam." Five breaks from him and starts towards the dog.

A German Shepard, proud looking breed that the stance only accentuates. Certainly the pack's alpha, and a good one at that. This is a very organized pack, that much Five has already drawn from experience.

"I trust you are the one that has caused all this fuss?" The Shepard asks, looking up at Five, but not giving the impression of doing so.

"My apologies, ma'am," Five answers with a slight bow of their head. "It was not my intention." They follow the dog into the surprisingly open den.

Janine studies them carefully. The way they sit as if prepared to execute orders. Not standing proud like an alpha. It could be a play, to gain her trust then strike when the opportunity presented.

"You'll understand the excitement when a wolf struts into my pack carrying essential supplies."

"Half-wolf," Five mutters.

"What was that?" Janine snaps.

"I'm only half-wolf, ma'am. My father was a dog," Five states calmly, despite the tone of the alpha.

Janine sniff haughtily.

"A very brave dog, it seems." Five doesn't react. "Well, I don't suppose you want to stay here. You'll want to go back to your own pack."

"I don't have a pack, ma'am." An implied note of, 'not anymore' hangs in the air.

"Hm," Janine pauses, then scrutinizes Five even more. "You haven't been alone for long. Where are you from?" She questions. She begins pacing around Five.

"Mullins pack, ma'am. They uh..." Five pauses noticeably. "We parted ways recently. That's how I ended up out there. I was looking for somewhere else."

Janine doesn't seem to completely believe the story but acquiesces.

"Everyone here pull their weight. It appears you are a good runner, perhaps that will be your assigned duty."

"I would be willing to do that. It is one of my best skills." Five smiles in a tiny way.

"Very well. You may stay," Janine stays back a step. But then she steps close, bringing them nearly nose to nose. "But if I sense for one moment you wish to upstart my authority, or alpha major's, I will personally end you myself."

"Of course, ma'am," Five answers. They aren't an alpha type. They've always been a beta, doing what has to be done for the pack but never wishing to be an authority themself. It is the place they are comfortable.

"Then go. Have Sam help you with getting settled. You will have duties assigned to you soon."

"Thank you, ma'am," Five answers and slowly backs out of the den.

Outside, Sam is waiting and his tail wags when he spots Five.

"Well, you've still got both your ears and all four legs. I'll take that as a good sign." He trots up excitedly.

"She is letting me join the pack. Begrudgingly, it seems." Five responds, tilting their head down so not to tower over the Chow. "But she wants me to run. Which I'm pleased about."

"Really?" His tail wags again. It seems to do that a lot. "Well, that's great! We rarely get new pack members now-a-days. Everyone will be so excited to meet you. And we always need more runners." He says optimistically. But Five disagrees. Lots of dogs are afraid of wolves. They seem too wild and so unlike themselves that Five believes they will find it difficult to be accepted into the pack. Mullins had been different. All tough dogs that formed a pack very much like the wolf.

This pack was... less so organized. Yes it had an alpha and it was highly organized, but the alpha they just spoke to was... an alpha minor? And she answered to an alpha major, as Sam explained, who was currently not in Able territory. Not the typical wolf pack orientation. How can one answer to a pack leader that isn't even present? And the running packs, they actually have dogs designated for that here. Mullins pack had been too small for that. Everyone's primary focus was food, collectively. This would take some getting used to.

Sam is chattering along happily and Five listens intently, learning all they can about this new place. Many dogs have found refuge behind the walls. They have the beginnings of a rudimentary society growing within. But the life and soul, it seems, is the runners. Sam acts as operator to guide them outside as he did already for Five. They leave to hunt for prey and supplies, protect the pack from the creatures from outside, and many other tasks, as far as Five can understand as he goes on and on about interesting missions.

"But you're probably tired and tired of listening to me talk. This is where you will be staying," He gestures towards the rows of shelters set up, each varying in size enough to accommodate dogs of different sizes. "It's not much, but it's out of the wind and rain. It's too flat here to make dens, and we wouldn't be able to make room for everyone anyways," He explains. "But there should be a few unoccupied where you can stay. We'll just have to find one."

With that he sets through, glancing inside mostly vacant shelters, looking for signs that no one sleeps within. Five used their nose, sniffing quietly for any that lack the smell of a currently occupied den. They settle on one at the same time, of a large variety to house the wolf-sized dog.

"You should get some rest. In the morning, go find Runner Seven, the dog who lead the pack to bring you in. He'll be able to get you started on joining the running pack."

Five nods slowly and turns away to settle under the shelter. They look up again to see Sam walking away, likely to find his own way to bed. It is rather late. Five was lucky to make it into these walls just before dark. Things get worse out there after dark.

Laying down their head, Five shut their eyes and tries to fall into a shallow sleep. Too deep and the nightmares come.


	2. You'll Be Safe With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runner Five meets a suspicious Runner Eight on a decoy mission and then takes on a mission to save a lost young one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the first chapter before reading this one or else you'll be confused.

Startled awake and on their feet before they could mentally think about it, Five tries to find the source of what woke them.

An alarm of some sort is blaring. Coming from, they step out from under the shelter and turn a circle, trying to get a source for the noise, coming from the front gate.

"All available runners are needed at the gates to run distraction," Sam's voice breaks into their ear as they are already running towards the gate.

Once they arrive, Sam is sending a few dogs out the gate with small devices clutched in their teeth. They race a distance away before turning on the devices, which beeping loudly and are attracting the zombies towards them as they run away from the rest of Able pack.

"Runner Five. I'm glad you're here. You're needed. Take this noisemaker. You'll be running with Eight. Basically just go out there and run around to keep the zombies away while we get the gates repaired." Five nods then turns towards the sound of feet coming towards then.

"Hey there, Five. I'm Sara, Runner Eight. This will be your first run from Able, won't it?" She asks. 

Five nods in answer again, then studies the dog.

Eight is a Grey Hound with light brown hair speckled with white. She's tall enough to look Five directly in the eye while both are standing, but thinner than Five, more dainty. But Five senses that the dog is skilled and very smart. If it happened to come to a fight between them, Five decides it would be a very close fight.

As Five studies the dog, Eight scrutinizes Five perhaps even closer. Five understands the suspicion, as much as they hate it. A wolf always warrants suspicion.

"Go, now," Sam says and the pair race out the stuck open gates.

As they run towards a group of zombies, they glance at each other, a silent coordination of movement passing between them, and turn towards the right.

Eight activates the noisemaker and it buzzes with an annoying tone. Glancing backwards, Five sees the zombies following so doesn't discount the effect of the device.

Five's hackles stand on end and teeth bare when Eight gives a hacking cough. That's how it starts; every dog knows the signs. It starts with a cough, then a rattling from the chest, then a groan.

"Are you alright there, Eight?" Sam questions nervously, in Five's ear rather suddenly. "You're not..."

"I'm perfectly fine, Sam. It's just a cough."

"Okay, but are you sure you should be running with that?"

"Sam, if it bothers you so much, I can turn off my mic," Eight says.

"No, don't..." Sam started but Eight turned it off anyways.

Five could still hear him in their ear but tunes him out, focusing their attention on Eight. Their ears are half-way to being pinned to their head, but not to the point where anyone would typically notice. But Five senses that Eight does notice.

"So Five, a few of the other runners and I were beginning to wonder about you. Sort of strange circumstances that brought you here." The dog casts a glance towards Five. "Very strange actually. You being out in the middle of nowhere, how we were able to find you by the zombie activity, and then you showing up like a white knight with medical supplies? Too damn convenient Five. We've had some strange things happening around here. I'm beginning to wonder why you're here." Her intense eyes bore into Five, before darting behind her. "Oh, watch out there."

Five spins and dodges away from the gnashing teeth of a crawling zombie. It's barely larger than Five's head, but this isn't to discount the ability of it to kill. One bite would still be fatal, just a scratch of its teeth would do it.

Eight leaps over Five and quiet literally crushes the small, dead dog under foot.

"There we are. Keep moving, that pack is still behind us." And Five does, mostly because there isn't much choice.

"So, Janine was saying you come from Mullins pack. Funnily enough, I used to be in Mullins. I don't recall you being there."

Five's ears pin back to their head fully this time.

"Sure, we do a lot of moving around now, don't we? Especially... someone like you." Eight carefully watches Five, gauging them for reaction. To her surprise, Five's body language doesn't shift to anger, instead shame. It's only for a moment before Five composes themself.

Sara examines the half-wolf for a moment longer. She knows she is an expert at reading body language. The reaction probably is not faked, or else Sara would have known.

"Duck down there, love. Wouldn't want to pounce on you by accident." Sara leaps over Five, snapping into the head of the zombie and killing it with surprising ease.

"You should just know, I will be keeping my eye on you," Eight says pointedly towards Five then turn on the transmitter again.

"...Eight, Runner Five." Sam was halfway through calling for them again.

"We're here, Sam. Me and Five were just having a little chat."

"You never, ever, ever turn of your equipment. Never," Sam scolds and Five glances up, almost wanting to say that theirs was not turned off, but doesn't bother to.

"Sorry, Sam. We're heading towards the North now. Still have our tail following us," Sara answers.

"See, this is why you don't turn off your receiver. There are zombies to the North. And to the South, and... the West."

"So our only clear path is to the East," Sara mutters, looking East.

Five lifts their nose and smells, confirming this path. But there's also another smell. Dogs, living dogs and a lot of them. More dogs then there truly should be.

"That will take you right into New Canton territory," Sam informs and Five gets the idea that Eight already knew this.

"It'll be pay back for when they lead zombies towards us when they were building new barracks."

"Do you want to start a war with New Canton?" Sam questions.

"It's our only safe way, you know it makes sense," Eight assures.

"Alright, do what you have to," Sam acquiesces and Sara grins at Five.

"Come on, Five. Let's go!" She takes off, showing off some of the speed that Five quickly realizes they can't match.

Five stretches out to gain ground on Eight and only catches up when Sara slows. They both race side-by-side through the woods, splitting up to move around trees, Eight warning the newcomer of hazards Five doesn't know about. Suddenly, somewhere through the trees, a dog is moving beside them. A living dog, though the zombies dogs are still close behind.

"Turn around! You are entering New Canton territory. If you continue, you will be attacked," The dog warns.

"There are zombies behind us. Run!" Eight shouts.

The dog growls angrily and starts to speak towards someone else, possibly an operator like Sam.

"Keep going, Five! We can't stop now." Five struggles to keep pace when Eight increases in speed.

Five's ears flick forward to the sound of more dogs coming their way. Sara's move several seconds later, hearing the dogs clearly well after Five does.

"This way now!" Sara only barely gives a warning before veering off the straight path.

Behind them, Five can hear the dogs charging into the zombies, ripping flesh, only slightly frantic barking.

"Woo-hoo!" Five is slightly startled when Eight howls excitedly. "Nothing like a good run, aye Five?" When Eight seems to be waiting for a response, Five nods slowly, then turns their head towards Able.

"Well, the gates are fixed so you both can come back in. And Five, you might want to be ready to go out again. I'm still trying to get permission, but we've spotted a puppy on our cameras. All alone between us and Red pack. I've been monitoring it, and it hasn't turned yet. The young ones turn quickly, so I'm pretty sure it's not going to."

"Sam, you know we don't have the resources to take in more mouths. I don't think Janine is going to let you spend resources on a mission like that." Five hears a small whine from Sam's end and their own ears droop. That is the world now, as awful as that is.

"But, it's just a puppy. You really don't think we'll just leave it out there to be eaten?" Sam asks worriedly.

"We can't save everyone, Sam." Eight says with sympathy in her tone.

"Yeah, well. Come on in." They are both close to the gates, which are half-raised. It seems they are the last runners to come in.

"Well, this run didn't involve as much chatting as I would have liked. But we'll have to talk another time." Eight barks a laugh. "Though you didn't really do much talking to defend yourself there, Five," She says pointedly.

"There was nothing I could say to make you believe me, was there?" Five questions, glancing at the dog. Their voice is quiet enough that it would not go through the microphone with Sara for Sam to hear.

"Suppose not," Eight agrees as they trot through the gates.

"Alright. Yeah, I get it," Sam is speaking in Five's ear. "Um, Five. Forget about going out. That'll be all for today."

Five can hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Close the gates!" He calls and the alarm starts to blare.

Five makes a split second decision, partly for Sam, but partly for themself. The world maybe cruel and unfair, but maybe they can do something about it.

Eight called after Five was they raced out the gate before the last few feet came down.

"Five? What are you..?" Sam pauses, then continues, "You're going after the puppy aren't you?" He says, with the slightest hint of fondness in his voice.

Five smiles upwards, then continues running at a steady pace.

"They're not going to be very happy about this, you know that Five?"

They shrug as well as they can while running.

"That's right. You don't have a mic. So you can't talk to me. Well, I can do the talking for both of us. And you can't even tell me to stop talking. Ha-ha," He laughs exaggeratedly. "Since you are one of my runners, not officially but you have a number so whatever, I suppose I should keep you safe from zombies. Red pack is to the West, so you know... And it looks like there are no zombies in that direction, coincidentally."

Five grins towards their ear and follows the course.

"So..." Sam starts. "I'd ask you about yourself, but you can't really tell me anything. Best I can do is say thank you."

Five continues to run, listening intently.

"Everyone is always saying 'the world is a dangerous place' and 'we need to take care of ourselves first' but... we can't just stop helping because the world ended." The sincerity in his voice has Five smiling again. "Oh, you'll need to take that foot-trail. Much safer. Keep you away from any dangerous ravines and such. You don't know this territory well enough yet to go running around wildly."

So Five finds their feet on the beaten earth which smells of Able dogs. A few other smells cross now and again (the new smell from New Canton pack's dogs being one), but it's mostly Able. And zombies, but that smell is everywhere. Five has learned to ignore it unless it's fresh.

"You're not far now. A couple more minutes and... Hm," He trails off. "I've picked something up on the scanners. Looks like it's just one, but it's not moving like a zomb." He says casually with a hint of worry. "It almost looks like they're heading towards the puppy."

Five sets their ears forward, listening hard for the possible threat.

"You need to speed up, Five. They might get there before you. Just... Yeah, that's good."

Five hears the whining, most certainly coming from the puppy they're seeking. With that, they also hear a sound of pounding feet of something moving quickly in their direction.

"Keep going, Five. You're almost there. You should be able to see the puppy soon. Just pick it up and keep running. I'll help you lose them and get you back here."

And Five does see the small puppy. It's walking as though it has only recent opened its eyes.

The puppy is black and white with a short, blocky head. Five can't tell what its breed is. Perhaps it is a mix.

It looks at Five and tries to set its paw to stand steadily, attempting to growl.

"They're right behind you. Be quick, Five."

Five hardly slows when they reach the puppy, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck and lifting it before continuing to run.

"Runner Five! They're almost on you. Definitely not a zomb..."

"Wait!" The voice proves this to be true. "Put that puppy down and just keep going."

Five growls and speeds up.

"We don't need to fight." The voice calls again.

"Five! You've run out of camera-range. I can't see you," Sam say, sounding even more worried.

"Please stop. She's my daughter!" The voice calls, near despair.

Five pulls suddenly to a stop and whirls around. Their hair is raised and teeth bared slightly in warning, even with the puppy in their mouth.

The pursuing dog pulls up short in fear.

"Please. Just let me have her."

Five studies the dog, noting the shape of his head and coloration. Very similar to the puppy they are holding. Most importantly, they gauge the reaction of the puppy, with seems to recognize the voice and scent of this dog and relaxes significantly.

"Molly. Hi, pretty girl. Look, I have Mr. Rabbit." He reaches into a pack wrapped on his back and pulls out a ragged, stuffed toy.

The puppy yips excitedly and wriggles in Five's grip.

Gently, Five sets the puppy on the ground and noses it towards the other dog.

The dog steps closer and hands the toy to the puppy. It pounces on it happy and begins chewing on it. He smiles at the puppy, looking up surprised when Five is suddenly closer with barely a sound. He steps over the pup, though cowering away from the larger dog.

Five studies him with large, golden eyes. They know this dog's breed; a Pit Bull, well-muscled and stout. Known for being fighter. This one does not seem to be as much of a fighter, at least not willing to take on the half-wolf.

When Five takes a small step back, the dog relaxes slightly moving to touch the puppy lovingly. He then looks back at Five.

"My name is Ed. This is Molly," He says carefully.

"Call me Five," The half-wolf says softly, one ear twitching at the sound on their ear. They start back the way they came.

"You... you didn't happen to see a Boxer here with Molly, did you?"

Five pauses, tail swishing slowly. When they looked back, Ed knew the answer without Five saying.

"Oh Becca," He whispers mornfully. When Five continues walking, Ed picks up the puppy to follow. "Are you from a pack near here?" He questions around the pup in his mouth.

"Yes, Able," Five answers simply, still heading off, looking up into the trees.

"Are... Are they taking in new dogs? I have some helpful skills. I'm very good at mechanics."

Five finally finds a camera perched in a tree, staring at it while Sam speaks in their ear. At the question, they glance at Ed and nod slowly.

"Okay, why don't you bring them back? I'll talk to Janine about letting them in. I just hope she'll let you back in Five. She's not big on the whole, insubordinate thing."

Five's ears press back, worried about that as well. They glance at Ed and gesture for him to follow.

"So, um... Five," Ed begins. "Have you been with Able long?"

"No, not long," Five answers simply, eyes set forward as they begin to trot. Ed keeps pace beside.

"Is it a good pack? We heard all kinds of stories about packs being rather harsh. That's why we... why Becca and I were hesitant to join. We did alright as the two of us, taking care of Molly. But now that she's... gone, I don't think I can do it alone."

Five thinks for a moment. They certainly haven't been in the pack long. But listening to Sam talking in their ear, they smile lightly.

"It's a good pack," Five answers.

"Then I hope they let us in," Ed says. "I know about a fuel drop, not far from here. If I bring some of that, will they be more likely to bring me in?"

"Maybe. But we need to get there first." Sam is in their ear telling them about zombies on the way. "To the North. Zombs," They inform. "Our path is East. If we continue on, we should out pace them."

Ed looks that direction, worriedly.

"You're fast. Take Molly and keep towards Able. I'll go to the fuel dump and get as much as I can carry." They both pause in their running. Ed sets Molly down and Five promptly picks her up again. "We'll meet you to the East. I'll be as fast as I can."

Five nods in answer and watches as he takes off running. With the pup in their mouth, they continue towards Able.

"I would like to ask you what you are doing, but you can't tell me. I just saw you two switch the puppy around and him take off. He wasn't... bitten, was he?"

Five kinds another camera and shakes their head just noticeably so not to jostle the puppy too much.

"Okay, that's good to hear. Er, you know what I mean."

Five would grin if not holding Molly.

As Five continues running without the reappearance of Ed for a while, they begin to get concerned. What's worse is the sound of zombies behind, not fast but they are close. And Five isn't running at full speed in hopes of letting Ed catch up.

They're about to speed up just to shake the two Sam tells them are pursuing, when a voice interjects.

"Get away from that runner!" A growl says, followed by a ripping sound. Five turns just in time to see Ed pulling down and killing the second zombie. He certainly is living up to his breed's reputation for powerful jaws.

"Wow! He took down those zombies like they were nothing! I'm sure we'll let in someone like that!" Sam exclaims, to Five's satisfaction. "But there are more behind those two. So just keep going."

"I've got the fuel," Ed tells Five.

"Keep moving. We're not far away now," Five tells around the puppy. "They were quiet impressed by your bite. I'm sure you and Molly will have a place."

"Thank you," Ed starts then continues before Five can say 'I'm not the one to thank'. "It's been difficult with how I am to get dogs to trust me. They're worried that, because of my breed, I'm dangerous. Becca didn't think that way, and I loved her for that. I suppose in the end she did what she had to for Molly. I just worry about Molly because she's half-Pit Bull and others see us as dangerous even without knowing us first." He's looking at the puppy being held by Five.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Five mutters and continues running.

"You're almost to the gates. And the zombs are far enough behind that we should be able to close them behind you. But just in case, try to pick up the pace."

Five runs faster, making certain Ed can keep pace.

"We're almost there?" Ed questions.

Five nods in answer, focusing on the gates and silently willing them to open, worried that they won't.

"Raise the gates!" Sam calls and the sirens blare as the gates open.

Five and Ed run through and the gates close quickly behind them. Shortly after several zombies are throwing themselves against the gates, snarling.

Ed laughs, relieving some nervous tension.

"I don't always bring monsters with me when meeting new people. Do you?" When Ed glances at Five, he see their eyes trained further into camp.

A German Shepherd is striding up, ears pressed back and teeth slightly bared.

Five sets Molly beside Ed and steps in front of them.

"Alpha," Five begins, dropping into submissive body language.

"Explain to me why you thought it wise to return after disobeying strict orders and why I shouldn't throw you back out there with the zombs," The Shepherd growls, almost directly in Five's face.

"Wait, Janine!" Suddenly Sam is trotting up to the scene, eyes cutting around to take in the situation. "It was me," He says with forcefulness.

Both Five and Janine turn on him, confused. Five begins to open their mouth in protest, but stops when Sam shakes his head.

"I was the one who told Five to run back out the gates. I put them on a private frequency so no one else knew. I don't think they even knew why I was asking for it. They were only listening to me, so you can't punish Five for what I did," He explains quickly and with surprising ease.

Five stares at the dog, so shocked they can't speak.

"Alpha?" Ed says. "I must please ask permission to join your pack. I lost my mate and my pup and I need a place to stay." He's lowering himself close to the ground to show submission. "I have skills with mechanics and I am willing to do double the work as you see fit to support me and my daughter."

"I will work double as well," Five asserts, stepping close.

"And me," Sam finishes. "Please, Alpha Janine. If we turn them away they'll die."

Janine glares at him, then turns her eye to the puppy. Molly is staring up at her with big, brown eyes and the Alpha's eyes soften, only for a second before looking at Ed.

"After our experience with the gate today, it has become clear that we need someone around who can repair as needed. You and your pup may stay as long as you may offset the burden with your usefulness."

Ed perks slightly at the words, nodding eagerly. 

"And as for you..." Janine turns on Sam, who whimpers and recoils slightly. "We will be having a discussion of this behavior later." With that, the Shepherd turns and leaves, ears forward as if those behind are no concern.

"That was bad, wasn't it?" Ed asks Sam, watching after Janine.

"That? Nah, from Janine, what she said to you was practically a love letter." Ed gives him a look, and Sam reads it correctly. "And eventually she'll be fine with me. I do a good enough job that she can't stay mad for long."

Five is staring at the dog, and Sam tried to ignore the burn of those golden eyes.

"Come on, I'll help you and your daughter set up..." He pauses, realizing he doesn't know either of their names.

"Ed. And this is Molly." He crouches to pick up the pup, ready to follow.

"Right, good." Sam turns towards Five. "Good work today, Five. I know it wasn't the best way to ease you into the job, but sometimes we can't help it." He turns with Ed.

"Sam," Five starts after him on soft feet.

"We can talk later, Five," Sam promises over his shoulder while walking away with Ed and Molly.

Five stands by the gate, watching after the trio carefully. They then stride alone into Able towards their new shelter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided on a whim to name chapters with lyrics from the song Dear Rabbit, which this fic is named after. I own neither the song, nor the Zombies, Run! characters. Hope you enjoyed this odd little AU!

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea came from the fic called 'Sam Chow: International Pup of Mystery'. At first I thought, 'what a funny idea' cause Sam is such a puppy, but then I started thinking about other characters as breeds of dogs. As soon as I got the idea for a wolf-like Five, things got out of hand and this happened. If you ignore the fact that the dogs can use technology, this almost seems normal... Almost. I might continue this, (I've got most of the other character's dog breeds pick out) but I will never use the exact transcript again. That was exhausting. Hope you enjoyed!


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